The more we try to be united, the more we become divided. Dayaks especially the Ibans must learn from past political miscalculations in order to build a better future.
In Japan, homogeneity is a unifying force. Here in Malaysia, despite the Ibans being homogeneous, why are they so divided, so much so that the unity is so elusive? asked Dr. Dusit Jaul, a senior INTAN Program Coordinator.*
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which tried to group the various Dayak tribes under its umbrella was about to achieve that unity. But certain forces both within the party and outside were determined to see that the party not only failed to achieve its objective, but also wanted the party destroyed and at the same time sabotaged the unity among the Dayaks.
The Dayaks should be united to fight these forces and should ponder and learn a lesson from a story of a race between “burung ensing” (kingfisher) (read BN) and “kuyong kerikap” (fresh water snail) (read the Ibans).
The kingfisher is always poking fun at the snail for its sluggishness. Angered by the daily taunts, the snail, despite its handicap challenges the kingfisher to a race. The kingfisher cynically laughs off the challenge knowing very well that the snail in no way can beat it in the race.
And when the snail looks very serious the kingfisher smilingly accepts the challenge with a condition. If the snail loses the race, the snail and its descendents will become the slaves of the kingfisher and its descendents. The snail accepts the condition also with its own condition that if the kingfisher loses the race, the kingfisher and its descendents will also likewise be their slaves. The agreement was sealed.
Before the race begins, “kuyong kerikap” asks several other “kuyong kerikap” for a meeting and tells them of the pending race, a very important race that will determine their future well-being.
To save their kind, the snail wants each and every one of them to cooperate and asks each one of the “kerikap” to station itself at a strategic point along the river starting from the estuary to the very “ulu”. The duty of each one of them is to answer when the kingfisher calls.
On the day of the race, both the snail and the kingfisher start the race from the estuary and follow the river upward. Smiling arrogantly, the kingfisher begins the race and flies along the river, while the snail slithers its way.
At the first ‘tanjong’ (point) the kingfisher calls for the snail’s whereabouts, the snail replies “here I am ahead of you”. Startled the kingfisher flies faster and at the second tanjong, it calls for the snail, the snail says that it is ahead of the kingfisher. The kingfisher tries to fly faster and faster and every time it calls for the snail, the snail is always ahead. The kingfisher becomes frustrated and tired until it cannot fly anymore. It collapses.
The kingfisher concedes defeat and from that day until today, the kingfisher and its descendents, according to the tale, become the slaves of the “kerikap” snails. The kingfisher’s job is to daily forewarn the snails of the coming of tide and it flies all the way from the river mouth to the very “ulu” shouting at the top of its voice. Hearing the voice of the kingfisher, the “kerikap” snails know that the tide is coming and so they will quickly climb to a higher ground to avoid being drowned.
The moral of the story is that although the snails appear to be stupid and sluggish, they are able to defeat the fast flying and arrogant kingfisher simply because of unity and cooperation among the snails and strategically use their numerical strength and a bit of intelligence to outsmart the kingfisher.
Do we Ibans have the esprit-de-corps of “kuyong kerikap” among us to beat the BN in the Batang Ai by-election? - The Broken Shield
* An excerpt from the second volume of The Broken Shield – The Dayak Dilemma, which will be published very soon.
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which tried to group the various Dayak tribes under its umbrella was about to achieve that unity. But certain forces both within the party and outside were determined to see that the party not only failed to achieve its objective, but also wanted the party destroyed and at the same time sabotaged the unity among the Dayaks.
The Dayaks should be united to fight these forces and should ponder and learn a lesson from a story of a race between “burung ensing” (kingfisher) (read BN) and “kuyong kerikap” (fresh water snail) (read the Ibans).
The kingfisher is always poking fun at the snail for its sluggishness. Angered by the daily taunts, the snail, despite its handicap challenges the kingfisher to a race. The kingfisher cynically laughs off the challenge knowing very well that the snail in no way can beat it in the race.
And when the snail looks very serious the kingfisher smilingly accepts the challenge with a condition. If the snail loses the race, the snail and its descendents will become the slaves of the kingfisher and its descendents. The snail accepts the condition also with its own condition that if the kingfisher loses the race, the kingfisher and its descendents will also likewise be their slaves. The agreement was sealed.
Before the race begins, “kuyong kerikap” asks several other “kuyong kerikap” for a meeting and tells them of the pending race, a very important race that will determine their future well-being.
To save their kind, the snail wants each and every one of them to cooperate and asks each one of the “kerikap” to station itself at a strategic point along the river starting from the estuary to the very “ulu”. The duty of each one of them is to answer when the kingfisher calls.
On the day of the race, both the snail and the kingfisher start the race from the estuary and follow the river upward. Smiling arrogantly, the kingfisher begins the race and flies along the river, while the snail slithers its way.
At the first ‘tanjong’ (point) the kingfisher calls for the snail’s whereabouts, the snail replies “here I am ahead of you”. Startled the kingfisher flies faster and at the second tanjong, it calls for the snail, the snail says that it is ahead of the kingfisher. The kingfisher tries to fly faster and faster and every time it calls for the snail, the snail is always ahead. The kingfisher becomes frustrated and tired until it cannot fly anymore. It collapses.
The kingfisher concedes defeat and from that day until today, the kingfisher and its descendents, according to the tale, become the slaves of the “kerikap” snails. The kingfisher’s job is to daily forewarn the snails of the coming of tide and it flies all the way from the river mouth to the very “ulu” shouting at the top of its voice. Hearing the voice of the kingfisher, the “kerikap” snails know that the tide is coming and so they will quickly climb to a higher ground to avoid being drowned.
The moral of the story is that although the snails appear to be stupid and sluggish, they are able to defeat the fast flying and arrogant kingfisher simply because of unity and cooperation among the snails and strategically use their numerical strength and a bit of intelligence to outsmart the kingfisher.
Do we Ibans have the esprit-de-corps of “kuyong kerikap” among us to beat the BN in the Batang Ai by-election? - The Broken Shield
* An excerpt from the second volume of The Broken Shield – The Dayak Dilemma, which will be published very soon.
